Body dent removing apparatus



Dec. 8, 1970 c, JONES BODY DENT REMOVING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 5, 1968 George C. Jones 7 IN V'E N TOR ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,545,250 BODY DENT REMOVING APPARATUS George Curtis Jones, 804 Marten, 48, Houston, Tex. 77018 Filed Oct. 3, 1968, Ser. No. 764,796 Int. Cl. B21d 9/05 U.S. Cl. 72-705 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE The apparatus removes a dent from a vehicle body by spanning the dent with a support bar that is spaced from the dent. An eyebolt is connected to the dent and a chain connects the eyebolt to the cylinder of a pneumatic powered cylinder assembly. The rod of the assembly pushes against the support bar while the cylinder moves away from the dent and pulls the dent out of the metal panel. Regulated air pressure supplies the power allowing the force exerted on the dent to be applied continuously and to be accurately controlled.

This invention relates to apparatus for removing dents from metal body panels, such as the door and fender panels of automobiles.

In present day automobile and truck construction, dents in the body panels cannot be easily reached from the inside where a force could be applied to push the dent out of the panel. Therefore, it is often cheaper to fill the dent with one of the readily available compounds used for this purpose. The compound is allowed to solidify and after it is sanded down until it is smooth with the adjacent contours of the body panel it is painted. This camouflages or hides the dent, but does not repair it. It does, however, avoid the problem of removing the dent from the panel.

One dent removing tool presently available anchors an eyebolt in a hole located in the dent. A rod with the sliding anvil thereon is connected to the eyebolt. By hammering outwardly away from the dent with the anvil, the dented in portion is hammered outwardly back into the plane or contour of the panel. Other devices have been proposed to remove such dents that apply the force to the eyebolt by hand operated jacks. With this apparatus, however, it is difiicult to control the force supplied to the eyebolt and, in addition, the force is applied intermittently, which is undesirable. Another disadvantage of this equipment is that it is inherently slow.

It is an object of this invention to provide dent removing apparatus that will remove a dent from a body panel quickly by applying an outwardly directed force on the dent continuously until the dent is removed.

It is another object of this invention to provide apparatus for removing a dent from a body panel that is simply constructed, lightweight, and easily operated by one man.

It is another object of this invention to provide dent removing apparatus of this type that includes a lightweight support framework that can be adjusted for the size of the dent before the relatively heavier power portion of the apparatus is positioned to be connected to the dent.

It is another object of this invention to provide dent removing apparatus that can be quickly disconnected from the panel after the dent has been removed to reduce to a minimum the time the apparatus has to be supported by the operator after the job is complete.

It is an additional object of this invention to provide dent removing apparatus having a support bar that spans the dent and is spaced therefrom by two base members 3,545,250 Patented Dec. 8, 1970 that can be moved on the support member independently to engage the panel on opposite sides of the dent and a power assembly that pulls on the dent which can be moved on the support member independently of the base members to provide the maximum flexibility in the positioning of the apparatus relative to the dent to allow the force to be applied to the dent at the most optimum location.

These and other objects, advantages, and features of this invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from a consideration of this specification, including the attached drawings and appended claims.

The invention will now be described in detail in connection with the attached drawings, in which,

FIG. 1 is a view in elevation of the preferred embodiment of the apparatus of this invention in position to remove a dent from the fender panel of the body of an automobile; and

FIG. 2 is a view, similar to FIG. 1, with the apparatus exerting a dent removing force on the dent pulling it out of the fender panel.

The apparatus is shown in the drawings pulling dent 10 out of tender panel 11 of an automobile. The apparatus includes elongated support member 12 that spans dent 10. Base members 13 and 14 engage the panel on opposite sides of dent 10 and hold support member 12 spaced from the panel as it spans the dent. The base members include circular foot pieces 15 and 16 and spacer bars 17 and 18, the ends of which are attached to foot pieces 15 and 16, respectively.

Means are provided to mount the base members on the support member for individual movement along the member to vary the distance between the members as required to engage the body panel on opposite sides of the dent. In the embodiment shown, first and second sleeves 19 and 20 are attached to the opposite end of spacer bars 17 and 18 from foot pieces 15 and 16. Sleeves 19 and 20 have an opening through which support member 12 extends. The support member is noncircular in cross section, being square in the embodiment shown, and the opening through sleeves 19 and 20 is also square or noncircular having the same general shape as the support member. The openings through the sleeve are sized such that the sleeves can readily slide on the member, but cannot rotate relative thereto. Set screws 21 and 22 are located in tapped holes in the sleeves and can be used to hold the sleeves in position on the support member, when they are the desired distance apart.

Fluid power means having first and second members movable relative to each other by fluid under pressure is provided to provide the pull on the dent. In the embodiment shown, a pneumatically operated cylinder assembly is employed. It includes cylinder 24, within which is located a piston which is moved relative to the cylinder by air pressure (the piston is not shown), and piston rod 26, which is connected to the piston and extends out of the cylinder. Means are provided on the support member for engaging the piston rod or first movable member of the fluid power means to hold the first member from movement toward the dent to cause the second movable member, cylinder 24, to move relative to the first away from the support member and dent. In the embodiment shown, third sleeve 28, which also has an opening therethrough which is noncircular and generally in the shape of the cross section of support member 12, is positioned on the support member between sleeves 19 and 20. The opening in the sleeve is of a size to permit the sleeve to slide longitudinally along the support member but is held against rotation relative thereto. Sleeve 28 has protrusion 30 extending away from dent 10. The protrusion has an opening to receive the end of piston rod 26, as shown in FIG. 2. This positions the power means relative to the dent so that as the cylinder moves away from the dent, it can be used to exert a force thereon.

Anchor means and connecting means, the latter including a flexible member, are provided to releasably connect the fluid power means to dent 10. In the embodiment shown, the anchor means comprises eye bolt 32, which is provided with self tapping threads to connect the eyebolt to the fender panel. A small hole is punched into the panel, usually close 'to the deepest part of the dent, and the threaded end of the bolt inserted therein. The bolt is then rotated until the bolt is well secured to the panel.

Preferably, the flexible member of the connecting means is a link chain, such as chain 34. The chain is passed through the eye of the bolt after the bolt is connected to the fender panel. Rectangular flat plate 36 is attached to cylinder 24 at the rod end thereof. Notches or slots 38 are located on opposite sides of the plate and are only slightly wider than the rod from which the chain is made. The slot then will receive one length of the chain sideways. The next adjacent link cannot then pass through the slot since it is at right angles to the slot. Therefore, the force exerted by cylinder 24, as it moves away from support member 12, will be exerted through plate 36, chain 34, and the eye bolt to the dent in the fender.

To operate the apparatus, the support bar assembly, which includes only support member 12, the base member assemblies and sleeves .19, 20, and 28, is adjusted to locate foot pieces 15 and 16 to engage panel 11 at the desired position on opposite sides of dent 10. At the same time, sleeve 28 can be moved to position it directly opposite the point in dent 10, where it is desired to apply the force to remove the dent. A hole is then made in the fender panel at this point and eye bolt 32 installed. Chain 34 can then be slipped through the eyebolt and let hang out of the way until the operation is to start. The support bar and its related equipment is then positioned with one end of the chain looped over the support bar. The support bar is held in place with one hand and cylinder 24 is raised with the other and rod 26 is inserted in the opening in protrusion 30. While holding the cylinder and support assembly with one hand, chain 34 can be located in the notches on plate 38. Usually, with one hand the operator will hold the lower chain in the notch, since otherwise it may tend to fall out before a load is placed on it. At this point, air is supplied to the cylinder through regulator valve 40 by the operator and cylinder 24 will begin to move away from the support bar and dent 10. As soon as the chain starts to pull on the dent, the operator is relieved of holding the apparatus in position.

By continuing to supply air, the apparatus will pull continuously on the dent through chain 34 and the eye bolt and very quickly pull the dent out of the fender. Immediately the operator can cut off the air to the cylinder, flip the chains out of notches on plate 36 and the air cylinder can be dropped to the ground along with the support assembly. Thus, the amount of time during which the operator is forced to support this apparatus is reduced to a minimum. It is constructed so that it can be made of relatively lightweight material. It is easily placed in position and adjusted for the various size dents it is to remove and since the force can be applied contiuously by adjusting air regulator 40, dents can be removed more satisfactorily than was heretofore possible.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that this invention is one well adapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forth, together with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherent to the apparatus and structure.

It will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are of utility and may be employed without reference to other features and subcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of the claims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention without departing from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matter herein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

The invention having been described, what is claimed 1s:

1. Apparatus for pulling out a dent in a metal panel of a vehicle body comprising an elongated support member for spanning the dent, two base members for engaging the body panel on opposite sides of the dent to hold the support member spaced from and spanning the dent, means slidably mounting the base members on the support member for individual movement along the member to vary the distance between the members as required to engage the body panel on opposite sides of the dent, fluid powered means located on the opposite side of the support member from the dent and having first and second members movable relative to each other by fluid under pressure, means on the support member for engaging the first movable member to hold the first member from movement toward the dent to cause the second movable member to move away from the support member and dent, when the fluid powered means is supplied with fluid under pressure, said first member engaging means being movably mounted on the support member for positioning opposite the dent, anchor means connectable to the dent in a body, connecting means including a flexible member for releasably connecting the anchor means to the second movable member of the fluid powered means, and means for supplying fluid under pressure to the fluid powered means to move the second movable member away from the dent and exert a continuous force on the dent through the connecting means and anchor to pull the dent toward the support member and out of the body panel.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the anchor means comprises an eyebolt having self-tapping threads on one end to engage a hole in the panel to anchor the bolt in the hole and an opening in the other end through which the flexible member of the connecting means can pass to releasably attach the connecting means to the anchor means and the dent.

3. The apparatus of claim 2 in which the flexible member of the connecting means is a link chain and the connectting means includes a plate attached to the second movable member of the fluid powered means, said plate being generally parallel to the panel with notches located on the opposite sides thereof to receive individual links of the chain to releasably connect the chain to the second movable means to transmit the movement of the second member to the dent through the plate, the chain, and the eyebolt.

4. The apparatus of claim 3 in which the fluid power means is pneumatically operated and the second member thereof comprises a cylinder and in which the first member thereof comprises a piston movable in the cylinder due to air pressure and a piston rod connected to the piston that extends out of the cylinder.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 in which the support member is an elongated rod of non-circular cross section and the means slidably mounting the base members on the rod includes two sleeves, each having an opening therethrough of generally the same noncircular cross section as the rod, said opening being large enough to permit the sleeves to slide on the rod longitudinally but small enough to hold the sleeves from rotating relative to the rod.

6. Apparatus for pulling out a dent in a metal panel of a vehicle body, comprising an elongated support member comprising an elongated rod of noncircular cross section for spanning the dent, two base members, each having a foot piece for engaging the body panel over a relatively large area and a spacer bar having one end connected to the foot piece and the other end to a sleeve, said sleeves having openings therethrough of the same general noncircular cross section as the support bar to support the spacer bars and foot pieces on the rod, said opening in the 5 sleeves being sized to permit movement of the sleeves longitudinally of the rod to permit the distance between the foot pieces to be adjusted to engage the body panel on opposite sides of a dent and to prevent rotation of the sleeves relative to the rod, a set screw carried by each sleeve to engage the rod and releasably hold the sleeve against such longitudinal movement when the foot piece attached thereto is positioned where desired on the rod, a pneumatically powered cylinder assembly including a cylinder, a piston movable in the cylinder by pneumatic pressure, and a piston rod extending out of the cylinder and connected to and movable with the piston, a third sleeve having an opening to receive the support rod, said opening having the same general noncircular cross section as the rod and sized to prevent rotation of the sleeve relative to the rod, while allowing the sleeve to move longitudinally thereof, a protrusion attached to the sleeve and extending laterally thereof away from the dent with an opening to receive the end of the piston rod, a plate attached to the cylinder transverse the longitudinal axis of 20 the rod with notches therein on opposite sides thereof, an eyebolt for connecting to the dent in the panel, a link chain for passing through the eye of the bolt with individual links thereof insertable in the notches of the plate to releasably connect the plate and cylinder to the eyebolt, and means for supplying the cylinder with air to move the cylinder away from the support rod and dent and pull the dent toward the support bar to remove it from the panel.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 further provided with an air pressure regulator to control the force exerted on the dent by the apparatus.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,577,055 3/1926 Bertschy 72-390 2,863,489 12/1958 Priest 72705 3,340,720 9/1967 Chartier 72-389 ROBERT C. RIORDON, Primary Examiner D. R. M-ELTON, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 

